


sunbeams will soon smile through

by henwens



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Journalism, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22040515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/henwens/pseuds/henwens
Summary: Kei didn’t want to blame Tadashi for this, but it was hard not to when his mind kept flashing back to Tadashi at his desk, hand curled around a folder, eyes dancing lightly, mouth curved around the phrase, “It’s a Karasuno picture.”Kei had wanted a lot in that moment. Maybe that’s why it shone so brightly in his memory.Or; how Tsukishima Kei found his heart, in more ways than one.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 149





	sunbeams will soon smile through

Tsukishima Kei wasn’t famous.

Tsukishima Kei wasn’t famous, but he was close to it. He had a face that people recognized easily, had appeared in popular movies and television shows with increasing frequency, and had a name that populated a stream of articles about his recent achievements when typed into Google.

Tsukishima Kei wasn’t famous, but he was getting there, and the paparazzi that loitered near his neighborhood in downtown Tokyo knew it.

“Kei!” A flash of light sparked through his glasses.

Kei picked up his pace, and felt his agent drift closer, ever observant. “Don’t mind,” a voice rang in his ears. He knew Kei hated when they used his first name, like they had any claim to it.

“Kei, over here!”

“Just a picture, Tsukishima!”

“You were in that _Jira_ remake, right?”

Kei couldn’t help the thrum of pride that went through him at that last comment.

He thought of Akiteru—as he always did—hunched over so many copies of newspapers, the critics’ harsh words crawling on every page. That had been over a decade ago, when _Jira_ ’s first incarnation had hit theaters. He thought of what the critics said about his own performance in its sequel, when his _Jira_ was released three years ago. Akiteru had cracked under the pressure; Kei had cracked the code. He knew how to give such a careful performance that he would never be surprised by what others had to say about him. And _Jira_ had given him that opportunity, and the opportunity to redeem the Tsukishima name, whether Akiteru wanted that or not.

“Yeah, you sucked in that one, man,” the pap said.

“Just ignore him,” his agent’s calm voice was in his ear, a hand on the small of his back, pushing him toward the car.

“Not as much as your brother, though!”

Kei didn’t even feel his reaction until Tadashi was pulling him back, and up, and into his arms.

☆

_Tsukishima Kei Loses His Cool!_

> _The actor—known for his calculated performances, got heated in an argument last night with local paparazzi. Reeling back for a punch, he was only stopped by his longtime agent and close personal friend, Yamaguchi Tadashi. Tsukishima’s temper might spell trouble for the cast joining him in his latest film endeavor from Studio Karasuno,_ The Flightless Crows. _Can director Ukai Keishin and the film’s star, King of the Small Screen Kageyama Tobio, keep him off thin ice?_

☆

Kei didn’t want to blame Tadashi for this, but it was hard not to when his mind kept flashing back to Tadashi at his desk, hand curled around a folder, eyes dancing lightly, mouth curved around the phrase, “It’s a Karasuno picture.”

Kei had wanted a lot in that moment. Maybe that’s why it shone so brightly in his memory.

But now, he couldn’t help but feel a little bitter. “This is all your fault,” he whispered, not realizing how close he’d gotten to Tadashi until the other man turned toward him and swept Kei away in a sea of freckles. Kei pulled back with a sigh and his gaze fell on Tadashi’s smile.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Tadashi said. “I had no idea it would be like… this. They brought _him_ on after you, and as for _the other one_ …”

Kei turned away from Tadashi and back at the scene that was unfolding before them. By _him_ , Tadashi had meant Kageyama Tobio, a brazen television actor with multiple credits to his name, as well as a few awards, even though he was just now entering the world of film. Because of his association with the great actor Oikawa Tooru, the press had anointed him “The King of the Small Screen.” But Kei had worked with him on a small J-drama, at the beginning of their careers, and so he could only laugh when he heard that title. Kageyama Tobio was not a talented luminary, but a spoiled and selfish despot who wouldn’t read lines with anyone until they had them down perfectly.

Kei hadn’t shared any scenes with him, but he’d watched as he’d henpecked one of the lead actresses to tears, berating her pacing in the scene. So, “King of the Small Screen” didn’t even begin to cover it, but it came close. Kei bit his lip in the anticipation of the showdown he’d have with Kageyama if he tried the same stunt again.

It seemed, though, that there was something else afoot here. That would be where Tadashi’s observations of _the other one_ came into play. Kageyama Tobio was currently engaged in a _very loud_ scene reading with a short, redheaded young man. They weren’t exactly “reciting” lines—in fact, they seemed to be off-book—but the competitive air between the two of them was bleeding out and making everyone else in the room tense.

He felt Tadashi shift next to him and, when he looked down, saw that the smile on Tadashi’s lips had morphed into a smirk, a pretty picture of mirth. Tadashi met his eyes and, his features softening, asked, “What? Blame me all you’d like, but at least you won’t be bored on this shoot.”

 _No_ , Kei thought, bumping his shoulder against Tadashi’s and turning back to the screaming match unfolding before them. _I certainly won’t be bored._

☆

_Fledgling Crow Joins the Big Leagues in Latest Karasuno Production_

> _Karasuno has long been the studio to challenge its viewers with bright new stars. Since the success of their buddy cop dramedy starring veteran actor Nishinoya Yuu and diamond in the rough Tanaka Ryuunosuke, the studio has once again opened their doors to new talent. While running auditions for_ The Flightless Crows, _casting director Shimizu Kiyoko made a great discovery. Twenty-four year old Hinata Shouyou has never before graced the silver screen, but Shimizu promises big things for him in this latest film. The dazzling casting director and acting coach said of Hinata, “The physical and emotional hoops that we ask our actors to jump through can be so daunting sometimes. Hinata demonstrated the strength to pull not only himself through these hoops, but also his teammates.” When questioned about the use of the word “teammates” to describe the cast of actors, Shimizu smiled knowingly but did not comment further._

☆

“I mean, what is it even supposed to be at this point? A heist film? A spaghetti western?”

“I think it’ll all click when—”

“Yamaguchi!”

Tadashi paused in his thought and looked over Kei’s shoulder. Kei turned on his heel and hummed in surprise.

“Why is the redheaded gremlin calling your name?”

Tadashi chuckled low, but hit Kei’s chest with the back of his hand. “Play nice, now.”

 _Play nice?_ Tadashi loved it when Kei picked apart the other performers, or at least he thought he did. What did the redhead—Hinata?—have on him?

“Yamaguchi,” Hinata said, not even out of breath despite having sprinted across the soundstage to reach them. “Kageyama said he’d read lines with me! Actual lines from our scenes! Thank you!”

“That’s… that’s great, Hinata! See? Practice makes perfect!”

Tadashi was watching Kei’s face, despite directing his words at Hinata, and Kei watched him back. Hinata didn’t seem to notice.

“I need to go find Kageyama, before he— _oof_.”

Even Kei jumped slightly at the sound of Hinata smacking right into Kageyama.

“Before I what, idiot?”

“K-Kageyama!”

 _Damn_. Kei had been too busy watching the emotions on Tadashi’s face shift radically to notice the King of the Small Screen sneak up on them. Now that he had, though… he wasn’t going to let this moment slip away.

“I think he was worried you’d change your mind, oh mercurial King Kageyama.”

Kageyama’s mouth moved around the word mercurial, while he saw Hinata puzzle over the name “king.” He rolled his eyes.

“Well, I can’t say you two don’t deserve each other.”

“Hey,” Kageyama said. “You don’t insult us.”

Kei hesitated, tried to move so his shoulder would be touching Tadashi’s. He found it there, and relaxed.

“We all have to work together,” Hinata was saying. “We should get along!”

“Listen, kid,” Kei said. “I know this is the first time you’ve been on set, so there’s going to be things you just don’t get. One of those things,” he continued, locking eyes with a glaring Kageyama. “Is that this guy doesn’t play well with others.”

Tadashi shifted at his side, and he could just hear his friend’s voice in his head, _Sounds like someone I know._

Hinata glanced over at Kageyama, and then at Kei, and lastly at Tadashi. He nodded. “I get that I might be new, but if there’s something I understand, it’s working toward a goal. We all have a goal here, right? To make this movie, and to make it good? So… we _are_ all on the same side, right?”

Kei opened his mouth to argue, but he felt a cool hand grab his arm, and when he glanced at Tadashi he saw the headlines and his brother hunched over them. _I want to make a good movie. I want to be a good actor._

He met Hinata’s gaze when the redhead looked back at him, and sighed. “For now, it looks like we are.”

☆

_Tensions Boil Over in Studio Karasuno’s New Thriller_

> _Though the set is closed to journalists, as the plot to Karasuno’s latest venture is being kept under lock and key, sources close to the set have revealed that there is some tension between the two big names behind the film. Tsukishima Kei, a veteran to film since his breakout performance in_ Jira _three years ago, has often been at the center of rumored rivalries. King of the Small Screen Kageyama is just now breaking into cinema, so has he met his match in Tsukishima Kei? Will Karasuno withstand the egos of not one, but two celebrities?_

☆

“Cut!”

Ukai Keishin’s voice was massive, and it rang in Kei’s head like someone had just dropped a steel drum down a flight of stairs. He began to move to find Tadashi, needing his cool voice like a balm for sunburn.

“Tsukishima!” The voice rang again. “Here, now!”

Kei was not afraid of much, he told himself as he made his way over to the director. But he had wanted to work with Studio Karasuno for a long time, and this man held the key to that in his hands.

Not afraid, but maybe a little intimidated.

“Director Ukai,” he said, and if his voice was shaking a little it was only because he had put it all into the scene. He didn’t normally do that, didn’t normally feel the words on the page come alive through his voice, his actions. It was the secret to being a good actor. Not to feel, not to believe—it was just to play pretend.

“What the hell was that, Kei?”

“I-I’m sorry?”

“I saw you in _Jira_ before, it’s why I let you on this picture despite whatever nonsense you’ve been flitting around from in these past years. You can _do_ intensity. Where is your intensity?”

“My… intensity?” Kei couldn’t help but smirk at that. He didn’t think he had intensity at all.

_You sucked…_

Kei grit his teeth.

“You’re not up there to play pretend. These words matter, and this film will matter. It matters now—we are all here for a reason after all! What’s your reason? _”_

_…Almost as much as your brother._

“With all due respect, sir,” Kei said, feeling the muscles in his hand clench. “For me, it is pretend. That’s my job. Will you let me do my job?”

Ukai’s face looked tense, and for a minute, Kei felt it—a flash of fear. Had he missed his shot?

“I don’t want you holding back, Tsukishima. If I see it up there, the audience will see it, and my film is ruined. Understand?”

“Don’t worry,” Kei said, “I never said I wasn’t good at my job.”

Ukai chuckled at that one, but it was low and dark, and Kei knew he was still on shaky ground. When he turned away, he saw Tadashi, standing off to the side with a coffee cup in hand. He took a long sip, and his eyes never left Kei.

“Let’s lock it up!” Ukai shouted, signaling that it was time for another go. Kei turned, heading back into character, into this made-up world that everyone wanted so badly to be real, and all the while he felt Tadashi watching him.

☆

 _Can_ The Flightless Crows _Really Lift Karasuno Up?_

> _While times have been good recently for popular film studio Karasuno, the film community is anxious to see how their internal shake-up will play out. In recent years, Karasuno has pulled in big name stars like Azumane Asashi, Sugawara “Suga” Koushi, and Sawamura Daichi, and found hidden talent elsewhere. Even with these strong casts, the retirement of their leader, Ukai Ikkei, left Karasuno on shaky production ground with limited funding. Their newest film,_ The Flightless Crows _, is a mystery beyond its star-studded cast. This leaves us wondering—will that be enough for Karasuno’s big comeback?_

☆

Dinner with Bokuto was… loud. Dinner with Bokuto trying to impress Akaashi was _louder_. And dinner with Bokuto, Akaashi, _and_ Kuroo?

“When are you coming back to Nekoma Studios?” Kuroo whined, sprawling long arms across the table. Kei rolled his eyes and dipped his fork into the strawberry cake, topped with a heaping mass of whipped cream. He smiled thoughtfully around the bite, thinking of his favorite things. Strawberries, the miniature Diplodocus replica he’d gotten the other day, _brown eyes in a sea of freckles_ …

“I want to do another picture with you!” Kuroo was continuing, while Bokuto shouted, “No! Come to Fukurodani!”

Kei opened his mouth to say, _I like it at Karasuno_ , forgetting for a moment he was also trying to aim a fork full of cake at his mouth.

Kuroo’s hand snaked across the table before Kei could even register it, moving his thumb across Kei’s lip to snag some stray whipped cream. At that moment, a light flashed from somewhere in the restaurant.

“Oops, sorry babe,” Kuroo said with a grin, slinging an arm around Kei. Kei thought about saying something, trying to find the photographer, but knew from experience it would only make the whole thing worse.

“Not my problem,” Kei said, taking another bite. “But what’s Kenma going to say when he sees the picture?”

“Kenma’s not the jealous type,” Kuroo said, then his face went red. “Hey don’t trick me! There’s nothing—”

At Bokuto’s raucous laugh, Kuroo sputtered to a stop. “Oh, like you’re so smooth with Akaashi?”

Akaashi and Kei locked eyes across the table, and Akaashi broke first, rolling his eyes so widely Kei was almost impressed. The four friends went quiet.

“Whatever,” Kuroo said with a sigh. “What about your own love life? Anyone on your end gonna be jealous when that picture drops?”

“Nope,” Kei thought of freckles and brown eyes and hummed around his fork before pulling it from his mouth. “Not a one.”

☆

_KUROO TETSUROU CAUGHT IN THE ACT!_

> _Action star Kuroo Tetsurou was caught making moves on fellow actor Tsukishima Kei at a local cafe. The two shared the silver screen last year in Nekoma’s_ Black Cat _, with Tetsurou playing a nimble cat burglar and Tsukishima Kei the detective hunting him down. Chemistry sparked between them on set, and they continued their relationship post credits. Is this Tetsurou’s attempt to steal Kei away and take their relationship to the next level? Is there a sequel in our future? And are those WEDDING BELLS we hear?_

☆

“You’re going to get us all _killed_!” Kageyama roared at him, fists clenched in anger, face red. Hinata pulled at his shirt, accomplishing nothing.

“Don’t fight!” Hinata said. “We just need the key, and then everything will—”

“You think it’s so easy?” Kei said, letting his voice ice over. “You’ll accomplish nothing with this petty—”

“CUT!” Ukai’s voice roared through their imaginations, and for a moment Kei felt his heart stop. What had he…?

“Take five. Think about your character’s motivations, and what you’re meant to be protecting. Family? Reputation? There’s something missing here, and if we put our heads together, I’m sure we’ll figure out what it is.” Ukai moved away with the producer, Takeda Ittetsu, mumbling to him all the while.

Kageyama leaned over to Hinata, who was still clutching at his shirt, and whispered something in his ear. Hinata chuckled and finally let go of Kageyama, stepping away with reddening cheeks.

“So how long has this been going on?” Kei asked, even though he regretted it immediately. When Hinata froze and Kageyama met his gaze darkly, he suddenly wished for a more comforting presence. He wished Tadashi were here.

“Careful,” Kageyama said. “Some of us are more necessary here than others.”

“Then I’d be worried about your boyfriend here. What is it they say? Last in, first out? Talent left in, talentless out?”

Kageyama roared, real this time, and Kei took a step back.

“Kageyama, stop!”

Kageyama froze, and looked back at Hinata, face growing red. “Sorry, Hinata. He doesn’t get to say things like that to you, though.”

Hinata was still blushing, too, red from his neck to the tips of his hair. “T-Thanks, Kageyama. But it’s just Tsukishima. He’s just joking. That’s what Tadashi says, at least.”

Tadashi was talking about him? With _Hinata_? Kei’s chest felt heavy. He always knew he was selfish, but selfish enough to ignore that Tadashi had a world and a life outside of him?

He locked eyes with Kageyama. “So, the way to the King’s temper is through his heart?”

Kageyama looked away. “At least I have a heart.”

Ukai was coming back, calling for them to roll to first block, and if Kei didn’t have a heart, then what was turning heavy as stone and pulling him down with shame?

☆

 _Rumors Swirl Around Mysterious “_ Crows _”_

> _The film circuit is abuzz with speculation about Studio Karasuno’s_ The Flightless Crows _. Sources inside the studio say the set is fraught with tension and everyone is running on fumes. Something isn’t working quite right, and it may mean that one of the cast is about to get the boot. Who is going to get cut? The talented rookie? The great television star? Or Tsukishima Kei, the experienced, if frigid, film actor? Only time will tell!_

☆

“You’re going to get cut from the picture, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

Kei raised his eyes to meet Tadashi’s. He stood over where Kei was sitting, a small corner of the set he had carved out for himself to read in between takes.

“That’s just a rumor.” He turned back to studying the script. Something was missing from it—it wasn’t just him, right?

“Like you and Kuroo?”

“Yes.”

“You’re lying. You know something is wrong here. Why aren’t you doing anything about it?”

If Kei doesn’t look up, he won’t see the hurt in Tadashi’s face. He won’t see that his failure is hurting his friend. If he doesn’t look up, it doesn’t exist. Nothing is real on a film set, after all.

“You can stop it,” Kei says, and he ventures a glance up.

“Not this time,” Tadashi says. He scrubs his hand over his face. “It doesn’t feel like I can do much of anything these days. I’ll talk to Ukai, and see, but—Kei, I know you’re afraid of the critics—”

“Afraid?” Kei scoffed. “I know how to beat them, I know what to do, Ukai just has to let me—”

“But don’t you see the cost? Tsukki, I mean, I think about my favorite role of yours… when I first saw you. When I first saw that _spark_ , before Akiteru—the light in your eyes, it carried people away, Tsukki. You lost it after your brother quit, and I’ve been waiting for you to get it back since.”

Tadashi wasn’t playing fair. Something bit at Kei’s heart, bit it raw and red, and Tadashi’s words hit him like coarse salt.

“I thought _Jira_ would help you find it again, but it didn’t. So I thought that…”

 _Jira_? Why was Tadashi bringing that up? He’d always thought Tadashi liked _Jira_ , just as much as he did, as much as the critics had... hadn’t he been good enough?

“You’ve wanted to work with Karasuno for so long, I thought this would be it, I worked so hard to—“

It was too much.

“You don’t.”

“What?”

“You don’t do the hard work. I do. You don’t get to tell me how to do my job, all you do is answer my phones. Because I let you.”

He needed to stop. It was too much.

“Kei, you don’t mean—”

“If you can’t keep me on this project, then I’ll find someone who can. Someone who can talk to Ukai without running scared. Because it clearly isn’t you.”

“This isn’t you—”

Raw. Red. _Hurt._

“You say you worked too hard to watch me throw it away?”

“That’s not what I—”

“Then you don’t have to watch anymore. You’re fired.”

“Tsukki!”

But Kei got up, and even Tadashi couldn’t hold him back this time. His mind was a roiling storm, and Tadashi couldn’t do anything about it, because Tadashi was the reason _for_ it.

☆

_A FREE AGENT!_

> _Tsukishima Kei has cut ties with his longtime agent and former friend, Yamaguchi Tadashi. Is this a sign that he is next on the chopping block? Studio Karasuno has been hemorrhaging money on their latest project, and with one of their leads burning his bridges… will_ The Flightless Crows _forever be flightless?_

☆

Projects fail all the time, Ukai tells them.

Oikawa Tooru and Seijoh Studios are currently crushing the box office with _The Great King_. Meanwhile, the cast of _The Flightless Crows_ is gathered nervously around the evening rundown of sales—even Tsukishima Kei.

“But what happens to all the footage? All the scenes we did together?”

“Don’t worry, Hinata,” Kageyama tells him, and Kei is surprised by the kindness of his voice. Perhaps he had misjudged Kageyama’s capacity for human emotion. He tugged at the sleeves of his sweater, chasing away thoughts of Tadashi.

“We’ve got a few more scenes, and if everyone brings their A-game for first takes, we may have time to redo a few. But we’ve got to give it our all.” Ukai locked eyes with him. “All of us.”

Kei felt the eyes. He felt the eyes even as he turned away, walked away, and walked through the doors of Studio Karasuno. 

☆

_STUDIO KARASUNO TO CLOSE ITS DOORS?_

> _The media giant might be in more trouble than they’ve ever let on! Sources from inside say that everyone is working hard to make_ The Flightless Crows _a success, but will it be enough? One key member of this story is notably absent from this last charge, however, as Tsukishima Kei has been spotted in downtown Tokyo, far away from the afternoon filming sessions at Studio Karasuno._

☆

“Akiteru.”

“Kei!”

“Akiteru,” Kei says, and his heart has been so heavy, but his brother is happy to see him, and for a moment everything is right again. “I really messed up.”

“Nothing that can’t be fixed, I’m sure,” Akiteru says, and he gestures for Kei to take a seat across from him. “What’s on your mind?”

“I guess,” Kei takes a breath. “I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“What do… what do you think of my acting? Am I… a good actor?”

Akiteru laughs, and for a moment Kei expects the worst. “Are you kidding? You’ve done an amazing job! When I think of what you’ve done for me, our name—God, I hated it at first, but seeing you continue with it, even knowing how worried you were about what others would think of you—”

 _There’s that word again_. _Fear? Worry? Is that what it’s been all along?_ Kei held a hand to his chest.

“Akiteru.”

“Hmm?”

“When does it go away?”

“What?”

“The fear of what others think of you?” He thought of Kageyama, of Hinata, red in the face but not caring what Kei, what others thought of them. “Why are there people who don’t have it? How do they get rid of it?”

Akiteru smiled kindly. “I don’t think it does go away. I think, instead, people just focus on the opinions that really do matter. If I had learned that sooner, I probably would have stayed in the game for longer. After all, what’s your favorite movie?”

“ _Jira_ ,” Kei answered without thinking. He blinked, and met Akiteru’s eyes. “The first version. Your version.”

“See?” Akiteru said, but his eyes were glossy. “I know who’s opinion matters, and it’s not the critics.”

Kei wondered at that, worrying at his lip. “Akiteru,” he said.

“Kei?”

“Can you help me find Tadashi?”

Akiteru laughed. “You always did keep your nose out of the gossip blogs, but I just can’t seem to help myself. Old habits,” he said, and he held up his phone.

☆

_Actress Yachi Hitoka Grabs Lunch with Talent Agent Yamaguchi Tadashi_

> _Could this be a sign that Yachi Hitoka is branching out, in talks for a new film? Or is this lunch more of a… social call? Either way, the two make an interesting pair at the local Miyagi Café, known for their cute sandwiches and cozy booths for couples!_

☆

“Tsukki?”

And it has only been days, but it feels like months, an eternity, since he heard his name, _like that_ , and since he’s seen Tadashi. A breath of fresh air. A dying man in the desert, reaching the oasis.

He glances at Tadashi’s partner, and snaps out of it.

“Tadashi,” he nods his head. “And Ms. Yachi. I’m so sorry to intrude, but…”

 _Ah_. Akiteru had told him to pay no mind to the spin, but here they both are, and Yachi Hitoka is stunning in the way she is so cute, blushing light pink, and Tadashi is red in the face as well, and Kei feels like a sore thumb. There is no time for jealousy, though. Kei needs to make things right, and even if Tadashi is with someone else, he still needs him by his side.

“Tadashi, please come back to the studio. Please come back… with me. I think that I can try once more, but I can only do it if you’re there. You’re the—” _the one who matters_ —“The only one who can help me get there. They’ll never let me in without you.”

Tadashi sat back in his chair, watching him carefully.

“It makes sense,” Tadashi said. “But there’s something missing.”

Tsukishima Kei always had been bad at apologizing. But at least Tadashi knew this.

“I’m sorry,” he said, earnestly. “I’m sorry, and you know that’s the best I can do.”

Tadashi looked over at Yachi Hitoka and smiled. “Sadly, he’s right. That really is the best he can do.”

She giggled, and looked nervous about it.

“Hitoka,” Tadashi said, and Kei fought back the aggressive _want_ to hear him say _his name_ again. “If you’ll have me, I think I know just the place for you.”

Yachi looks between them, and her cute demeanor shifts a little as she smirks. He’s seen that exact transformation many times before, always on Tadashi. “Collateral?” She says.

Kei felt a flicker of respect for her. Smarter than she looked.

Maybe she was good enough for Tadashi.

 _After all,_ he thought as the three of them made their way through the doors and towards Studio Karasuno, _I'm certainly not_ _._

☆

 _Yachi Hitoka Joins Cast of Karasuno’s_ Flightless Crows _in their Final Hour_

> _The golden girl herself, known for her adorable performances as the bubbly sidekick in many a romantic comedy, has made a stunning career move to join the cast of the notable and notorious thriller_ The Flightless Crows _. An actress would have to have nerves of steel to join this picture, which has been the source of great speculation lately as Studio Karasuno deals with funding issues._ The Flightless Crows _is running out of time… so can Yachi Hitoka save them?_

☆

To say that Tsukishima Kei had been welcomed back with open arms would be a gross overstatement. To say that Yachi Hitoka had been welcomed in with open arms would be an understatement. They had practically hung banners from the ceiling in her honor.

In total, five scenes where Kei was in the lead position were cut from the final edit. When he tallied up his screen time, he found he had truly been demoted from a lead character to a secondary character.

The scenes he did have were reshot to fit the tone of the movie after the addition of Yachi’s character. Everyone worked overtime, scrapped together everything they had to get the most from the budget.

And Kei tried something new.

“It wasn’t at all what I had pictured,” Kei let the emotion, his fear, his anger, sink into his voice. “We never stood a chance.”

“You’re wrong,” and Kageyama’s voice was strength, and fire, and Kei let it burn through his icy demeanor. “We will reach the end, and when we do, it will be because of you.”

“No,” Kei said, and he let a tear slip past his defenses. “How can you be so sure you’ll ever see the end? Our hopes, our dreams… this will cost us everything.”

He bit into the blood packet concealed behind a tooth, and sputtered, letting the red coat the inside of his mouth and dribble past his lips. “It’s cost me… everything.”

Kei felt it, then. He felt the true motive of his character, struggling against the beliefs of others, pushing him around. He felt the defeat, and the sadness— _the loss_. He imagined what he had to lose. _Brown eyes in a sea of freckles_.

“We won’t forget you,” Kageyama said, grabbing Kei and lowering him to the ground. “You still have us, here, at the end. You’ll be a part of us forever.”

“Not at all how I pictured…” Kei said, letting the loss drip from the words. And then, he let his eyes drift closed.

“Cut,” Ukai called, and his voice was soft and not at all a roar. Kei let out the breath he’d been holding, and he brought his eyes to meet Kageyama’s. The other man looked just as surprised as he felt.

“G-Good…” Kageyama stuttered to start. “Good job, Tsukishima!” Hinata finished from the sidelines.

Kei’s face felt like it was on fire as he scanned the audience. There were cheers and applause and—oh god, was Yachi crying?

But one face was not there. He scanned again quickly, looking for Tadashi—and finally he saw him, leaving through the back doors.

“Thanks, everyone,” he said. Kageyama looked like he was about to keel over at the sign of gratitude. “I’ll be right back for finishing shots!”

He sprinted over to the door, caught it just before it closed, and turned a corner to find Tadashi. It was dark out, and cool, but the moon was bright where it landed on him like a spotlight. He was beautiful. He was so beautiful. Kei took a deep breath.

“You were right,” Tadashi said, and his voice shook. “That looked like hard work in there, more than I’ve done in my life. You’re incredible, Tsukki.”

“No,” Kei said. Tadashi met his eyes, shock and sadness written across every line and freckle on his face. “Please, don’t say that. I was wrong about everything, everything I said to you. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

“What? Of course you would, you’re the one who got your first audition—”

“That was Akiteru, and you know it. Everything that got me to this moment was handed to me, and I was selfish enough to believe it wasn’t. And in there? That wasn’t because of anything I did. That was because of you.”

He froze. He hadn’t meant to say that part at all. But Tadashi had captured his gaze, and held it firm. “What do you mean?”

Kei took a deep breath. “Like I said, you were right. I was afraid of the critics. I thought that if I didn’t pour my heart out in front of the camera, then when they tore me apart, it wouldn’t really matter. After all, my calculated performances—they weren’t me at all. I was just playing the role of actor, even if I was playing a bad one. They couldn’t get to me if it wasn’t real.”

Tadashi was frowning. “I knew it.”

“You and Akiteru both. You two saw the real me, every time, and you knew something was off. What I did in there—that _was_ the real me. That was my heart. And it was… it was because I was thinking of you.”

“Tsukki—”

Kei laughed. “Tadashi, I’m still scared. I’m so scared of what people will think of me. But the whole time I was in there just now, I remembered what you said to me the other night. It took me a second to remember what you were talking about… my favorite role of yours…”

Tadashi’s lips wobbled, and before Kei realized, he was smiling. “The moon. The time you were the moon in our sixth grade play. Tsukki, your eyes really did shine then.”

“If I could do something to impress you then, then I thought I could do it again.” Kei stepped closer. “You’re the only one who matters to me, Tadashi. So, what did you think?”

Tadashi stepped up to the challenge, like Kei knew he would. “Tsukishima Kei,” he started. “You can be so stubborn, and selfish, and you always say the wrong thing unless you have a script in hand.”

Kei felt his heart beat in his throat. “No arguments there.”

“You really suck at apologies, and you like strawberry cakes way too much, and your hands are too cold when they touch my shoulders. Your opinion matters too much to me, and when you laugh it is my favorite sound in the world. You are my best friend,” Tadashi bit his lip, and his eyes shone with moonlight, and Kei loved him.

“You are my best friend,” Tadashi continued, “and you are an incredible actor. Best I’ve ever seen.”

Kei breathed out a sigh and moved into Tadashi, and Tadashi caught and held him. He always did.

“Tadashi,” Kei pressed his face into Tadashi’s neck, and if Tadashi felt anything, be it the cool drops of tears or the warm press of lips, he didn’t say a word.

☆

 _LONG AWAITED_ “CROWS” _TO FLY INTO THEATERS!_

> _Studio Karasuno’s_ The Flightless Crows _opens everywhere in theaters on Friday_. _In this film, Kageyama Tobio plays a cold-hearted treasure hunter who puts together a team in search of a mysterious, heavily guarded bounty. He is joined by Tsukishima Kei, who plays his skeptical research partner, Yachi Hitoka, who plays a damsel-in-distress turned treasure hunter herself, and newcomer Hinata Shouyou, whose character is tied to Kageyama’s own in ways that will surprise all. This action-packed thriller is fraught with surprises at every turn, just like the Labyrinth and its mysteries the “flightless crows” must overcome. Make sure to get your tickets now—this highly anticipated film is filling seats as we speak!_

☆

Tsukishima Kei didn’t have a date to the red carpet.

Tsukishima Kei didn’t have a date to the red carpet, but he took pictures with Yachi Hitoka, and refused to comment about their relationship. He also took pictures with Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shouyou, and refused to comment about _their_ relationship.

Tsukishima Kei didn’t have a date to the red carpet, but once the cast was seated in the theater, and the premiere of _The Flightless Crows_ began playing, he took Yamaguchi Tadashi’s hand in his and held it for the entirety of the movie.

“Tsukki,” Tadashi said, as the credits rolled. “You’re amazing.”

Kei saw his name crawl across the screen, brilliant white on bold black. He squeezed Tadashi’s hand and heard the other man chuckle.

“Tsukki? Aren’t you going to say something?”

“Can’t,” Tsukishima said, his voice a whisper. “I don’t have my lines memorized.”

“Alright,” Tadashi said, biting his lip. Kei watched the white turn pink again while Tadashi spoke. “I suppose it _is_ my job as your agent to make sure you’re working with the right ones.”

“And what are the right words?”

Kei didn’t realize how close they were, how they had been leaning in closer, until Hinata jostled him and sent his forehead careening into Tadashi’s brow.

“Hinata!” He cried, but when he looked back, Hinata was wrapped around Kageyama, embracing him with loud cheers and tears. Kageyama looked hesitant at first before returning the embrace, flushing a brilliant crimson in the process.

“Oh God,” Kei said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Before they could, though, Ukai’s booming voice called out that the reception would be in the theater’s lobby, and all were invited to celebrate with good friends and lots and lots of booze.

And if it hadn’t been for the combined efforts of Tadashi _and_ Yachi’s puppy-dog-eyes, Kei would never have attended.

☆

 _Karasuno Takes Flight with_ Flightless Crows!

Flightless Crows _a Soaring Success!_

The Flightless Crows _Murders Seijoh’s Latest at the Box Office!_

 _What’s Next for the Cast of_ The Flightless Crows?

☆

“So,” Tadashi says, leaning his elbows on the table. Kei wants to pick at his manners, but he is telling himself to be kinder these days. “Nekoma, or Karasuno?"

“Karasuno, of course,” Kei answers, sipping at his drink. Tadashi raises a brow.

“Really?” Tadashi asks. “You’d get to work with Kuroo at Nekoma, and I know you two are close.”

“Tadashi, please don’t get swept up in that gossip. There’s nothing going on between me and Kuroo, as you should obviously know.”

“Me? Why should it be so obvious?”

“Because I love you.”

Time seemed to freeze around them.

“Tadashi—”

“Tsukki—”

“I didn’t mean—”

“You didn’t mean it?”

“No, I… of course I did… why do you ever let me talk?” Kei slumped forward with a groan, closing his eyes tightly. _If I don’t look, I can pretend this isn’t real_.

“Tsukki, look at me,” Tadashi’s voice was calm, and Kei felt a cool hand wrap around his wrist, pulling at him. Of course. Tadashi always had him.

Kei looked up, and met brown eyes in a sea of freckles.

“Did you mean it?” Tadashi asked, and there was something hesitant, and worried, and Kei never wanted him to feel that way again.

“Of course I did.”

“Oh, Tsukki.”

Whatever Tadashi’s answer was, it wouldn’t matter, because Tsukishima Kei would always love him, and could love him without being loved in return.

“I love you, too.”

So much went through Kei’s mind in that moment, as he leaned over to kiss Tadashi in the middle of the café. Who would see? What would they say? What would they think?

A flash of light.

Tadashi put a cool hand to Kei’s cheek, and in that moment, Kei knew one thing:

Whatever anyone else said, or did, or thought, it did not matter to Kei. Because Tadashi was the one who mattered most. 

**Author's Note:**

> in a parallel universe this entire fic was a "singin' in the rain" au featuring tsukki, yamaguchi, and yachi.
> 
> your comments are so appreciated and the reason why i wanted to return to this fandom and pairing! thank you!


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